Lent has been over for more than a month, and yet I have barely restocked my cupboard with sweets. I've been busy with other things, like rehabing my still very messed up ankle, traveling to see relatives, throwing bridal showers and avoiding swine flu. You know, the basics. But after a week of pathetic wallowing where my poor husband made dinner, took care of my dog and was basically wonderful in every way, I thought I should finally get off my sorry self-pitying backside and do something for him. So I made cookies. Yummy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. And in the interest of mending fences (or abandoned blogs as the case may be) I will share some cookies with you.
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
from
The Best of the BestIngredients:
1.5 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 C butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C smooth peanut butter
1 egg (or equivalent in egg beaters)
1/2 C broken salted peanuts (not dry-roasted)
*so - I've never seen these so-called salted not dry-roasted peanuts, perhaps my grocer is lacking in the peanut department or they are a figment of the original recipe writers imagination. I've been using UN-salted dry-roasted peanuts because that's what I can find. I add a healthy pinch of salt to the recipe to make up for it. The cookies are still very tasty.
1/2 C chocolate chips
Directions:
Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda (and salt if needed) in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream together the butter, brown sugar, regular sugar and peanut butter (seriously easier with a mixer). Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Add the peanuts and chocolate chips and mix well.
Chill the dough in the fridge for one hour. I do this even though I'm not convinced that the dough is sticky enough to warrant it. At some point in the chilling process go preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Once chilled flour your hands and roll 1" balls of cookie. Place them on a silpat mat on your cookie sheet (if you have no silpat mat, try foil sprayed with cooking spray). Leave the cookies about 2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a flat glass to flatten your cookies (mine still end up starting at a little less than a 1/2" thick.) Bake 12 minutes and cool on a rack. Don't try to transfer these to a rack immediately wait a few minutes or they'll fall apart.
If this does happen, I suggest reaching in your freezer and pulling out a little can. I know, I know, it's not homemade. Other than the stirring in water part. But homemade lemonade is a commitment I just can't handle. I've always been partial to minute maid's lemonade. I like the flexibility. You get to choose to add slightly more or less water depending on your personal tartness preferences. Also, extra cans take up minimal space in the freezer, which means you never need to be without one. Who doesn't like backup?
